Four Palestinian shepherds were assaulted Sunday evening by masked assailants near the West Bank settlement of Susya in the south Mount Hebron area. The Palestinians claim the assailants were Jewish settlers.

According to Palestinian news agency Wafa, among the victims was a 68-year-old woman who was evacuated to Beersheba's Soroka Medical Center in serious condition.

The remaining victims, including the woman's 70-year-old husband, sustained mild injuries and were treated by IDF paramedics at the scene. Hebron police were scouring the area in search of the attackers.

Some two months ago a bruised-up Palestinian teen told soldiers manning a checkpoint in the south Mount Hebron area that he was beaten by a settler with a rod as he was passing near Susya.

Earlier on Sunday the IDF removed 10 roadblocks in the south Mount Hebron region in accordance with Defense Minister Ehud Barak's order
to ease restrictions on Palestinian residents of the West Bank.

Security sources told Ynet that the lifting of roadblocks would allow terrorists to travel more freely throughout the West Bank.